Everyone knows that cardio is king when it comes to losing body fat. The 1st thing people think about is running. Running is great, but If you are looking for some great fat burning exercises to mix up your cardio, here are my favorite cardio based exercises that burn the most fat.

Burpees

Burpees are probably number 1 when it comes to effective cardio exercises. This exercise uses your entire body which leads to a pretty intense fat burning workout. The best part is it requires no equipment and you can do it anywhere!

Dance

My all time favorite source of cardio comes from dancing! I have been dancing for years and it seems to never get old. This can be done almost anywhere (I know from personal experience... I pretty much dance everywhere I go). You can throw on some up beat jams or put on an instructional video, but I really encourage you to be adventurous and find a dance class! I know it seems scary, but it's going to be the best and most fun decision you make. There are so many types to choose from, but for the best cardio I would go for hip hop, jazz, African or dance aerobics. Always start off with a beginners class to see where you stand. If you are ever in the Atlanta area you can even take my beginners hip hop class! It's called "Q it Up", it's every Monday at 7pm at Dance 101.

Jumping Rope

Jumping rope was such a fun thing to do as a child, so why stop? This exercise actually incorporates more muscles than running. If you haven't used a jump rope in a while, then I suggest starting off slow and don't be discouraged if you mess up a few times. Take it as a challenge, a skill to improve on and learn new tricks (or re-learn old tricks). That way it's not just cardio, but a fun activity or hobbie.

Stairs/Stair Master

If you have stairs at home, a park or the stair master at the gym, it all works great! I didn't think it was that big a deal until I tried it myself. You can walk or run, skip a few stairs going up for wider stretch ( much like a lunge). You can speed up for intensity or slow down for muscle contraction. Do this for about 15-20 mins and you're golden.

Sprint Drills

Rather than just jogging for an hour or so, try kicking up the intensity with a sprint drill. All you need is a stretch of place and some good running shoes. A basic drill can be as simple as finding something to mark your starting point and end point or just setting a starting point and set a timer for anywhere from 10 to 30 sec. You can also find sprint drill routines that others have made online or even make your own. When executing a sprint drill, YES you have to actually SPRINT! Run like something is chasing you (minus the terror and bad form). Make sure you warm up and get a good stretch before hand and get ready to sweat.

Up Hill/Incline Treadmill

Running or walking a fairly steep hill/incline probably sounds dreadful, but its not! It's actually an awesome way to target and activate more muscles in your legs. Taking an incline will also burn more calories and you will be less likely to get shin splits (just be careful on the way down).

I hope these ideas can help you mix up your routine and take your training to another level. Enjoy your fitness journey and if you have any questions or comments, just leave them below. Make sure you check out Jill Conyers page! She has so much awesome info on fitness and over all wellness!